By Joey Jones. BOONE, N.C. — With impressive displays of speed, strength, skill and explosiveness, seven seniors from App State’s relatively young 2023 football team went through Pro Day drills and workouts Monday in front of representatives from the NFL, CFL and NASCAR.
Photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
App State had one linebacker (Andrew Parker Jr.), two offensive linemen (Bucky Williams, Isaiah Helms) and four defensive backs (Tyrek Funderburk, Nick Ross, EJ Jackson, Jarrett Paul) participate in an event that began in the North End Zone weight room and concluded in the Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility.
Some of the highlights included a time of 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash from Funderburk, 23 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press from the 185-pound Ross and a series of strong testing numbers from Parker, notably a vertical jump of 38.5 inches and a time of 6.98 seconds in the three-cone drill.
Only one linebacker at the NFL Scouting Combine had a better vertical leap in Indianapolis, and no Combine linebackers had a better three-cone time. Parker’s numbers in the bench press (20 reps), broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.26 seconds) all would have ranked third at the Combine when compared to other participating linebackers.
“I just wanted to come out here and show I was an all-around (line)backer,” said Parker, who increased his total from 68 tackles in 2022 to 114 in 2023 as a full-time starter who earned All-Sun Belt recognition. “They had a few questions about me, I think really from my junior tape (in 2022) that they just wanted to see my range. I just wanted to show I could change direction with the best of them, that I can run with the best of them and that I’m just as explosive as some of the best of them.”
Only seven cornerbacks at the Combine had a 40 time faster than Funderburk’s 4.39 seconds.
Given his position, he also put up good numbers in the three-cone drill (7.0 seconds), bench press (14 reps), vertical jump (34.5 inches) and broad jump (10-3).
“A lot of (the scouts) said I looked very fluid — very smooth in my breaks — and I didn’t drop any passes today, which was a huge goal of mine,” said Funderburk, who tied for the Sun Belt lead with four interceptions in 2023 and totaled 11 interceptions in his college career. “When I was down in Florida, we worked (on that) twice a week there. The main thing, I just wanted to come out here, run well and test well overall, but mainly just run well and catch every ball in those position drills.”
In addition to his 23 bench-press reps in the weight room, Ross ran the 40 in 4.55 seconds and had a vertical jump of 33.5 inches.
No safeties at the Combine had more than 22 bench-press reps.
“I think I showed off my strength, being undersized at my position,” said Ross, who had 256 tackles in 66 career games, putting him tied for No. 1 for the most game appearances in program history. “I felt like I hit a good number on the bench press and also showed off my speed as well. I’m just glad I got to put all the hard work into my opportunity.”
Jackson had the next-best 40 time of 4.53 seconds to go with a time of 6.90 seconds in the three-cone drill. Paul tested particularly well in the vertical jump (36 inches) and three-cone drill (7.01 seconds).
Williams and Helms worked as interior linemen — drills for guards and centers — with Helms also performing as a long snapper.
“I feel good,” said Williams, who earned All-Sun Belt recognition as an offensive guard in both 2022 and 2023. “Obviously, there were numbers in my head that I wanted to hit, and I didn’t hit some of them, but, overall, I felt I moved well, did drills well and, overall, had a really good day.”
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held April 25-27, with teams also signing undrafted free agents immediately after the draft.
App State concluded the 2023 NFL regular season with a Sun Belt-leading 14 alums on NFL rosters. The breakdown of that group was split between eight draft picks and six undrafted players.
